Evil Geniuses and Astralis are two of the eight elite teams set to face off against each other at the FACEIT ECS Season 8 Finals in Arlington, Texas.
AVANAGAR, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Astralis, Fnatic, Sharks Esports, Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, and MIBR are all locked in for the finals after ECS’ five-week circuit. The series started in September with each region slowly locking in teams for the live finals in Texas. The teams will compete for a $500K prize pool in a single-elimination, best-of-three playoff bracket after the group stage ends. The finals run from from November 28 through December 1.
The ECS finals takes place after a five-series season that started September 16 and ran through October 31. There were two ways to qualify for the ECS finals: the team with the most prize money after the first two series earned a spot, and the teams that won series three, four, and five also snagged a finals spot. Each series acted as its own miniature tournament, complete with a $25K prize available every week in ECS’ first season with the new format.
ESC North America series’ final matchups and scores:
ECS European series’ final matchups and scores:
The regular ECS season played out differently than expected, especially in the European region. AVANGAR took first place by beating out Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Astralis. Astralis only came in fourth place during the regular season. The ending is an odd one for the Danish team given their dominant form both online and offline.
Team Vitality is unexpectedly absent from the finals. This is a clear disappointment for a French team that had been trending upwards during the past several months. Other notable absences include Mousesports, Heroic, and BIG.
The North American version of ECS played out just as expected. Sharks Esports is the exception, coming nearly out of nowhere to make the ECS Season 8 finals.
Team Liquid and EG are obvious contenders for the ECS crown, but they’ll have to take down a Fnatic team that has given both sides trouble lately. Astralis is another roadblock for Team Liquid, who have been in poor form since the StarLadder Berlin Major.
For the ECS Season 8 finals, the eight teams will be split into two groups of four. The opening matches for each team will be best-of-ones, while the rest of the matches will be played out in a best-of-three format. Teams that place first and second in their respective groups will move forward to the playoffs.
ECS hasn’t revealed the teams in each group yet, but the ECS Season 7 finals included two teams from each region placed in each group. Fans can likely expect the same for the Season 8 finals.
Ticket options are available for those interested in attending. General Admission tickets are available for $25. Premium tickets are $50 and include premium seating and an ECS souvenir bag. Student tickets are also available with a valid Student ID. These offer the same admission as general tickets but are marked down to half the price at $12.50.
According to FACEIT, discounts and exclusive codes, including missions to be made available during the finals, are available in the FACEIT client.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
